Alarm device



W. E. LANGENBERG.

ALARM DEVICE. APPLICATiON FILED MAY 27, ms.

Patent-ed June 17, 1919.

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WILLIS E. LANGEIIBERG, 0E MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ALARM DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17, 1919.

. Application filedMay 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,830.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIs E. LANGEN BERG, citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAlarm Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to alarm devices, and it relates more particularly to an improved automobile-thief alarm.

One of the objects of this invention is to sound an alarm as soon as an unauthorized person releases the brake of the auto.

Another object of this invention is to sound an alarm when an attempt is made to render the device inoperative.

Other objects and advantages may become apparent to persons who read the following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a small diagrarmnatical view illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, showing the electric circuit open; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view, but shows the circuit closed.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond with similar parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates a brake element such as is commonly used in automobile brakes, the numeral 6 designating the links whereby the brake band or element 5 is contracted and expanded, and the numerals 7 and 8 designate two electric contact elements which are secured to the pivots 9 which connect the links 6 with the brake band. Electric conductors 10 and 11 are connected at 12 to the contact elements 7 and 8, and the conductors 10 and 11 are protected by means of a tube 13 which may be partly or wholly formed of insulating material. This tube extends to the alarm mechanism which is to be presently described and is electrically connected therewith, so that when the brake is released by an unauthorized person, the alarm will be sounded so as to give warning to the owner or driver of the automobile.

The alarm mechanism referred to comprises an outer casing 14, an inner casing 15, an outer lid element 16, an inner lid element 17-, insulation 18, a battery 19, a bell or sound producing element 20, a lock 21, insulation 22 between the lock and the lid which carries it, and conductors 23, 21 and 25.

The lid is hinged at 26 to the outer casing, and the elements 16 and 17 are secured together in any suitable manner through the medium of the contiguous insulator 18. A key 27 is engageable with the lock 21 for turning the same, and a keeper 28 cooperates with the lock for retaining the lid in its closed position; this look also constitutes a switch 'which may be electrically connected between the outer and inner casings as is obvious in Fig. 1. i

However, when the lock is in the inoperative position shown in Fig. 2, there is no electrical connection between the inner and outer casings, and the contact elements 7 and 8 do not effect the closing of the circuit even when they are in contact with one another.

The conductor 10 is electrically connected to the lock 21, and the conductor 11 is electrically connected to the inner casing 15. The battery is connected to the inner casing through the medium of the conductor 23, the bell is connected to the outer casing through the medium of the conductor 24, and the battery and bell are electrically connected together through the medium of the conductor 25.

It will be seen, therefore, that when the lock is in its operative position, and the contact elements 7 and 8 are electrically connected, the circuit is closed and the bell rings; but if the lock is in its inoperative position when the contact elements 7 and 8 are brought together, as shown in Fig. 2, the circuit is not closed and the alarm is not sounded.

In practising the invention, the owner or driver of the automobile moves the contact elements 7 and 8 apart when he sets the brake of his automobile; and now, before leaving his machine, he inserts the key 27, and turns the lock 21 into its operative and circuit closing position, and carries the key with him when he leaves the automobile. Now while the alarm device is in this operative condition, if an unauthorized person loosens the brake, preparatory to starting the automobile, the circuit is immediately closed by the contact elements 7 and 8, and

the current now passes through the battery 19 (from right to left in Fig. 1), thence through the conductor 25, bell 20, outer casing 14, lock 21, conductor 10, contact elements 7 and 8, conductor 11, inner casing 12 and conductor 28; whereby the alarm is sounded and the attention of the public is drawn to the would-be theft. In the event that the unauthorized person attempts to disable the device or render it inoperative by puncturing the casing or severing the conduct'ors 1'0 and 11, the metallic instrument which would be necessary to elfect such puncturing or severing would close the circuit and thereby sound the alarm;

It is contemplated to place the alarm mechanism exclusive of the elements 5 and 13 under the cowl of the automobile, althoughit may be placed in any other-part of the automobile. 7

Although I have described. this embodiment of. my invention very specifically it is not intended to limit this invention to these exact details of construction and arrangement of parts, but I may make changes tuating means connected to said Withinthe scope of the inventive idea disclosed in the foregoing description and fol- V wln l m.

What I claim as my invention is:

An electric circuit closer comprising a bowed member, a pair of links pivotally connected respectively to opposite end porinsulatingelements carried respectively by sald links, contact -element s carried respectively by said insulating elements, and aclinks where they are joined together, said actuating means bei g ends of the links toward and from a plane that coincides with the axes of the pivotal connections that connect the links to the bowed member, said contacts being in posit-ion to meet one another when the links are thus moved. 7 r '7 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand;

mus LA-NGENBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by afidressing the Gommig'sioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0; V

operable to move the joined 

